Packing machines



D. R. P. JACKSON PACKING MACHINES May 13, 1958 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6, 1953 3M KWXW May 13, 1958 D. R. P. JACKSON;

PACKING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Filed July 6,- 1953 q, waZa/n wil M fl TOKN- X PACKING MACHINES Donald Richard Patrick Jackson, London, England, as-

signor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application July 6, 1953, Serial No. 366,308

Claims priority, application Great Britain July 10, 1952 6 Claims. (Cl. 21659) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to packing machines, Some such machines comprise a rotatable wheel furnished with radially disposed pockets into which partly completed packets are inserted and in which they are then conveyed, by rotation of the wheel, to a position at which they are ejected from the pockets, various operations having meanwhile been performed on them. For example adhesive may be dried and stamps aflixed to the packet while it is in a pocket of the wheel. For convenience such a wheel will be referred to hereinafter as a stacker wheel.

An example of a stacker wheel is described and illustrated in U. S. Serial No. 243,877, now Patent No. 2,667,- 987. In the stacker wheel according to that specification, each pocket is provided with a movable bottom plate which is moved radially outwardly to eject a finished packet. Also in the construction described in the abovementioned specification the bottom plates are controlled so as to reduce the depth of a pocket for a predetermined time in order to prevent'complete entry of a packet until an operation has been performed on the projecting portion of the packet.

The present invention provides a stacker Wheel similar in many respects to that disclosed in the above-mentioned specification, but of simplified and improved construction.

According to the present invention there is provided a stacker wheel having pockets open at both ends, each pocket being adapted to contain an article (e. g. a packet) comprising a reciprocating ejector-member arranged to move into and out of successive pockets, as each said pocket reaches a predetermined position, to eject an article therefrom.

The wheel may be arranged to rotate intermittently, and the said member may be arranged to enter a pocket while the wheel is stationary, to eject an article, and thereafter to move with the Wheel while withdrawing from the pocket.

The said member may consist of a plunger arranged to be moved lengthwise to and fro in a guide (e. g. by a crank and connecting rod), the said guide being arranged to be swung to and fro about the axis of the wheel so as to cause corresponding angular movement of the plunger.

The apparatus may also comprise a further member arranged to enter successive pockets in turn so as to reduce the depth of each pocket in turn in order to prevent complete entry thereinto of an article (e. g. until an operation has been performed on the projecting portion of the article) and thereafter to withdraw to permit the article to be inserted completely Within the pocket.

Further according to the invention there is-provided a stacker wheel having pockets open at both ends, means to insert a partly-finished packet into each pocket in turn, a movable member arranged to enter a pocket so as to reduce its depth in order to prevent complete entry thereinto of a packet, means to apply a stamp or the like to the projecting end of a packet, and means to inserta stamped packet completely into the pocket, the said mov- States Paten 2 able member being arranged to withdraw from the pocket in timed relationship with said last-named means to permit such insertion.

Apparatus according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan of part of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section of Figure 1 on the line 3--3.

Referring to the drawings the apparatus comprises a stacker wheel 1 which is generally similar to the stacker wheel described and shown in the specification referred to above, but in the present case the radial pockets 2'in the rim of the wheel are open at both ends, in contradis-' tinction to the earlier arrangement in which each pocket was provided with a movable bottom plate. The pockets are formed between wedge-shaped pieces 32.

The wheel is arranged to be intermittently rotated, and held in position after each intermittent movement by apparatus similar to that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,591,135. In Figure 3 there is shown a roller 3 attached to a disc 4, the disc being the driving disc which is intermittently rotated by a driving block (not shown) but operated by a connecting rod to engage the rollers 3 in the manner described in said specification and drive the disc and wheel intermittently.

Cigarette packets P coming from a packing machine are pressed lengthwise into the pockets 2 of the wheel in turn as the wheel rotates intermittently in timed relationship With the packing machine. A packet P is inserted by any convenient means, when the corresponding pocket is horizontal and stationary. As shown the packets pass along a guide trough 5, end to end, being pushed along the guide by the conveyors of the packing machine as they deliver fresh packets to the guide. The pockets are slotted at'6, Figure 3 so as to accommodate an arcuate guide 7 which extends through the pockets from the position at which packets are inserted, to a position about 45 away from the inserting position I. P. This guide has the effect of reducing the depth of the pockets so as to prevent complete entry of a packet into a pocket, and is so positioned that a packet can be pushed in for up to about two-thirds of its length. The packet is left projecting simply for the purpose of applying a stamp to its end and partly down the side faces, so the length of the projecting part depends on the kind of stamp.

A short angular distance beyond the end of the guide just described, a further arcuate guide 8 is provided, which extends around the wheel for about another This further guide has the e'fiect of closing the pockets at their inner ends and is positioned so as to permit complete entry of a packet into a pocket passing over the guide, but prevent it from moving through the pocket on to the inside of the Wheel.

I When a packet is carried by the wheel past the end of the guide 7 a gummed stamp is applied to its top tent as did the arcuate guide 7 from which the pocket,

has just moved away. While the movable member is in this position the wheel rotates one pocket pitch, the

said member moving with the wheel and remaining in position to support the packet while the stamp is applied to the top face of the stationary packet. The stamp applying mechanism is the same as in the specification first referred to, and only a few parts are shown in Figure l for identification. The stamp is pressed firmly on to the top face by a presser plate 39, and the ends of the stamp are folded down over the'bioad faces of the packet by a pair of tuckers 40 consisting of the inner flat surfaces of a grooved block which moves down over the presser plate and the top of the packet. The presser plate 39 then moves inwardly to press the packet completely in position, the grooved block remaining in its lowered position so that its inner surfaces hold the ends of the stamp in position on the broad faces of the packet during the inward movement of the packet into the pocket. As the presser plate moves inwardly, the movable member 9 simultaneously withdraws to permit this complete insertion of the packet.

The member 9 is adjustably fixed to an arm 10 of a double-armed lever pivoted at 11 on a fixed disc 12 which is supported on a fixed boss 13 on which the driving disc rotates. Movement of the double-armed lever is effected by a cam 14, which is mounted and rotated as explained later, and engages a roller 15 on the other arm 16 of the lever. A spring 17 urges the roller against the cam.

The next rotational step of the wheel carries the packet on to the second arcuate guide 8, which therafter supports the bottom of the packet until the guide ends. Thus the packets cannot fall into the interior of the wheel, but after passing the half-revolution from entry they may fall out of the rim of the wheel. This is prevented by a curved guide 35 only the ends of which are shown. When a packet reaches the discharge position, marked D. P., a movable ejector-member or plunger 18 arranged within the Wheel engages the bottom face of the packet, at a moment when the wheel is stationary, and ejects it radially outwardly from the pocket. The wheel then rotates one pocket pitch, and the plunger starts to withdraw from the pocket but at the same time moves with the wheel. The plunger has completely withdrawn from the pocket by the time the latter reaches its next position, namely the inserting position, so that a fresh packet can be inserted. After withdrawal the plunger moves angularly so as to return to a position opposite the pocket which is now at the discharge position, and then moves radially through that pocket to eject a further packet. Various positions of the plunger are indicated on Figure 1 by chain lines.

The mechanism for operating the plunger 18 for ejecting packets is as follows. The plunger is arranged to slide lengthwise to and fro in a guide 19, the reciprocating sliding movements being imparted to it by a crank pin 20 and connecting rod 21. The guide in which the plunger slides is pivoted at the wheel centre, surrounding a shaft 22, so as to be swingable about the axis of the stacker wheel. The guide is pivotally connected by a short link 23 to a lever 24 pivoted at 25 and on which is mounted a roller 26, which latter rides on the edge of a cam 27 which is adapted to impart swinging movement to the pivoted guide through the linkage just described. The shape of the cam is such that the guide remains stationary during an ejecting stroke of the plunger, then swings so as to swing the plunger with the moving wheel during a return stroke, and finally swings in the reverse direction so as to bring the retracted plunger back into position for a further ejecting stroke. A compression spring 23 urges the pivoted guide in a direction such as to cause the roller to be pressed against the cam.

Packets ejected from the wheel are dealt with in any suitable manner.

A few other parts are shown in the views and will now be referred to for clearness.

The sides of the pockets 2 are provided with rings 31 bolted to the wedge shaped pieces 32. The rear ring has lugs 33 on its interior by which it is fixed to the driving disc 4. A dished circular cover 34 is fixed by studs 35 to the fixed disc 12. The cams 14 and 27 are fixed to a circular hub 36 fixed to the spindle 22 which is rotated inside the boss of the rocking guide 19, being driven continuously by any suitable'means.

It will be seen that the arrangement described enables the stacker Wheel to be constructed and operated in a simpler manner than in the earlier construction in which each pocket was provided with a movable bottom plate and individual control mechanism. By avoiding such multiplicity of parts the invention effects considerable economy in the construction of the stacker wheel, and in particular makes it much simpler and more economical to re-equip the wheel to enable packets of different sizes to be used. In the example described the wheel has forty pockets, and it will be seen that if it is required to change the size of the pockets to take packets of a different size, only minor adjustments are required to the ejector mechanism and to the mechanism for reducing the depth of pockets while stamps are applied, whereas in the earlier construction, forty new movable bottom plates were required when the packet size was changed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stacker wheel having pockets open at both ends, means to insert a partly-finished packet into each pocket in turn, a movable member arranged to enter and move with a pocket so as to reduce its depth in order to prevent complete entry thereinto of a packet, means to apply a stamp or the like to the projecting end of a packet, and means to insert a stamped packet completely into the pocket, the said movable member being arranged to withdraw from the pocket by moving in the reverse direction of that of the wheel in timed relationship with said lastnamed means to permit such insertion.

2. A stacker wheel having pockets open at both ends, each pocket being adapted to contain an article, comprising means to rotate the wheel intermittently, an ejector plunger movable lengthwise into a pocket at an ejecting station to eject an article from said pocket, a guide in which said plunger moves lengthwise to and fro, said guide being mounted for swinging movement about the axis of the wheel, cam means to cause the guide to swing with the wheel when the latter rotates, and thereafter to swing in the reverse direction, crank means to move the ejector plunger outwardly of the wheel into a pocket when the said wheel and said guide are stationary and to withdraw the plunger when the wheel and guide are moving, the said cam means being arranged to swing the guide in said reverse direction only when the plunger has been withdrawn from the said pocket, so as to return the plunger to its original position.

3. A stacker wheel having pockets open at both ends, each pocket being adapted to contain an article, comprising slots in said pockets, a movable member arranged to enter a slot in a pocket to reduce the depth of said pocket, thereby preventing complete entry of an article into said pocket, means to rotate the said wheel, and mechanism operatively connected to said movable member to move the latter into a pocket and with the rotating wheel while the said member remains within said slot, and thereafter to move the said member in the reverse direction out of said pocket and into a slot in another pocket.

4. A stacker wheel as claimed in claim 3, comprising a fixed guide positioned within the slots of pockets to reduce their depth so as to prevent complete entry of articles into such pockets, and a further fixed guide, spaced apart from the first said guide, and arranged to close the inner ends of pockets, wherein the said movable member is positioned between the ends of said guides and arranged to be positioned in a slot in a pocket as the latter moves away from the first said guide, and to move with the wheel in said slot so as to support an article until said article is positioned over the said further guide.

5. A stacker wheel as claimed in claim 4, comprising means to apply a stamp to the end of an article prolever which is arranged to be swung about its pivot by a jecting from a pocket when the inner end of said article cam. is supported by said movable member, and means op- References Cited in the file of this Patent erative in timed relationship with the movable member to insert a stamped article completely into the pocket as the 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS movable member moves in said reverse direction to with- 609,472 Smyser Aug. 23, 1898 draw from said pocket. 854,173 Nash May 21, 1907 6. A stacker wheel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the 1,234,722 Bracy July 31, 1917 said movable member is mounted for movement with 2,419,484 Danziger Apr. 22, 1947 said wheel and in the reverse direction on a pivoted 10 2,620,608 Smith Dec. 9, 1952 

